The Magic Nesting Doll
by VivaAmerica
Summary: Just your average fairytale I guess... wait, the PRINCE has to be saved this time!


Once upon a time a girl named Yekaterina lived with her grandmother at the edge of a forest. She was quite beautiful, with short, silvery blonde hair, a delicate face and… well, let's just say she had huge tracts of land. She and her grandmother worked hard and loved each other tenderly, until one day the old woman fell ill.

She called Yekaterina to her side and said, "Little pigeon, my time is near. Soon you must make your own way in the world, but I have a gift that will help you." She took a little _matryoshka _out of a small box. The doll was smooth and bright, painted in the likeness of her grandmother with apron and kerchief. Yekaterina started to open the doll.

"Stop!" said the old woman. "Not yet. If your need is great, open the doll and help will come. But you can only do so three times. After that, the magic will be gone. Keep the doll and remember me."

Yekaterina sniffed and tried to keep from crying, "I'll always remember you, grandmother!" she blubbered. After the old woman died, Yekaterina left with her favorite pitchfork and the doll in her pocket.

When she started out on her journey, it was the middle of spring, but only a few days later, winter returned with a sudden fierceness. Yekaterina was constantly cold and hungry. She often considered asking the doll for help, but she would always find some food or shelter on her own. Finally, she came to a great city. A kindly Spanish innkeeper let her stay in his kitchen and his Italian wife gave her pasta to eat.

"Thank you," Yekaterina sighed gratefully. "Please, could you wake me in the morning?"

"Then you will sleep forever, _chica._ There is no morning here now." The innkeeper said sadly, "Ever since our _Tsarevich _fell under an evil spell that turned him into living ice, it is always winter without thaw, night without moon, and dark without dawn."

"A man of ice?! What a sight that must be!" Yekaterina exclaimed. The innkeeper's wife snorted and grabbed the tomato that her husband had been about to eat. "Not for the likes of us," she mumbled in between bites and warding off a protesting Spaniard, "He lies asleep in the palace, watched over by his uncle, the Grand Vizier Ivan. Antonio, STOP!"

"Give me back _mi tomate,_ Lovina_._"

"Umm, I can't pay you, but maybe I can break the spell." Yekaterina said, touching the doll in her pocket.

Lovina only laughed, "Sure you can. I MEAN IT, ANTONIO! THIS IS _MY_ TOMATO!"

When the ruckus finally died down, Yekaterina fell asleep determined to see the man of living ice and break the curse.

When Yekaterina woke, it was still dark, but she made her way to the palace, a glorious place of red stone and golden domes. Three nervous guards politely turned her away at the door, but she spied a huge tree in the courtyard. Nimble as a squirrel, Yekaterina climbed its branches and peered through a window. Upon a bed of red and gold lay the _Tsarevich_, still and glittering in the candlelight. Behind him stood a tall old man who glared at Yekaterina and called for his guards. Yekaterina slid down the tree trunk into a circle of grim-faced soldiers.

They took her into the chamber of the frozen prince. Yekaterina's breath caught in her throat, she had never seen a more handsome man. His full lips were pale blue and his glassy hands long and fine. His wavy shoulder length hair glistened like frost and his features were fair, yet manly. The only sign that he wasn't and ice statue was the faint cloud of his breath and the faintest of stirrings in his chest. The old man- no, he wasn't old. Yekaterina had mistaken him for someone older, but in reality he looked quite young. His hair was silver, that's what had confused her, and he had eerie purple eyes. Yekaterina also noticed that his skin was unusually ruddy.

"Why were you spying on the _Tsarevich_?" he demanded.

"P-pardon sir," Yekaterina stuttered. "I only wished to s-see a man of living ice." Now that she had, she pitied him, trapped in his cold enchantment. She didn't know why, but she longed to see him awake. "I have come to break the spell." She said, a bit bolder now.

"You!" scoffed Grand Vizier Ivan. "The Britannic and Nordic wizards could not break this spell. Great magic is needed to unweave it, more magic than a peasant could possibly imagine." The Grand Vizier had reason to know. _He_ had cast the spell himself to keep his nephew from being crowned and to keep the kingdom for his own. It took all of his power to maintain the enchantment. But still, it made him pleasure smile on the inside.

"But I can break the spell, I swear it!" cried Yekaterina.

"Throw her in the dungeon," order the Grand Vizier. The guards took her to a stone prison in a far corner of the palace grounds and down a dark stairway.

The door clanged, shutting Yekaterina inside a tiny cell. She took the nesting doll out of her pocket and whispered, "Oh, _matryoshka, _surely I need help now." Carefully, she twisted off the top half of the smiling doll.

Inside was another figure, not a woman, but a bear. He yawned and stretched, growing until he nearly filled the cell. Yekaterina could see that the bear had bright blue eyes, quite unusual for a bear. "So _kleine_, tell me your need." The bear said in a thick German accent.

"Oh, Mister Bear," Yekaterina whimpered. "A magic spell has turned the _Tsarevich _into living ice and now the kingdom had winter without thaw, night without moon, and dark without dawn. I swore to break the spell. And… I am not fond of dungeons; can you help me get out?"

"Dungeon?" the bear said, "Seems like a fine cave to me. Still, if you vish to leave, zhen so we shall. As for zhe spell, who better zhen a bear to bring zhe spring thaw? Climb on my back." Yekaterina put the doll together, slipped it into her pocket, and climbed onto the bear's back. With one huge paw the bear smashed down the door. They rushed up the stairs and out behind the palace gardens. The bear gave a roar and warm wind began to blow. Yekaterina sniffed, why did the wind smell like potatoes? The potato smelling wind melted the ice on the trees and water dripped down the branches.

"Please, take me to the _Tsarevich_," said Yekaterina, eager to see him awake. As the bear walked, patches of brown earth filled his footprints.

The palace guards could not stop the bear, and Yekaterina rode straight to the velvet bed. But the spell was not broken. The prince was still asleep, though now he looked more ivory than icy blue.

"My roar is not enough." The bear said.

Yekaterina was disappointed, for now she felt more than pity for the prince, but she hugged the bear and said, "Thank you, kind bear."

"Keep zhe doll und remember me." Said the bear and he vanished.

The Grand Vizier burst into the room with a dozen soldiers, pale with fear and rage. The thaw had weakened his spell! There were streaks of white in his grey hair. "Seize her!" he shouted.

This time the soldiers took Yekaterina deep into the forest and tossed her down a ravine. Yekaterina was grateful that it was warmer, but it was still very dark. The sky was clotted with clouds. She tried to climb out, but it was too steep and she didn't even get halfway up before she fell back to the bottom.

"Oww! _Matryoshka_, I need your help again," she groaned, opening the doll. Inside, the bear doll stood still and quiet. She removed it and took off the top half. A wolf twitched an ear, shook his head, and grew until his ears reached Yekaterina's waist. They stared at each other for a couple seconds. Yekaterina finally interrupted, "Um, are you supposed to help me?"

The wolf turned in a circle and gravely nodded, "Forgive me; I was mearry sensing the mood. Terr me your need, small one." Yekaterina told him of the man of ice and the night without moon and dark without dawn and her vow.

"Also, I do want to get out of here," Yekaterina finished.

The wolf grinned, saying, "It seems like a fine prace to rest, but reave we sharr. As for the other, who better than a worf to summon the moon? Come with me." Yekaterina tucked the doll away and climbed onto the wolf's back. He leapt out of the pit and loped through the trees. At the edge of a meadow, he threw back his head and gave a howl that seemed to come from the throats of a thousand wolves. The heavy clouds overhead began to thin, and the face of a full moon peered through.

"Please, take me to the _Tsarevich._" Yekaterina said. As they ran towards the palace, moonlight followed them like a stream.

The frightened guards offered no resistance and they went straight to the _Tsarevich_'s chamber. He was still asleep, but now there was some color to his hair and skin.

The wolf said, "He needs more than my song to carr him back." Yekaterina sighed, for now she truly longed to see him awake, and not just because of her vow. She said, "Thank you kind wolf."

"Keep the dorr and remember me." He replied and vanished. In the corner of the room stood the Grand Vizier; His hair was now pure white and his nose was like the drip of an icicle. He seemed weak and withered, but his eyes were still bright and dangerous. Yekaterina was almost sure she heard him muttering "kolkolkolkolkol" under his breath. He called for the soldiers to take her away once more.

This time the soldiers took her to the top of a mountain. They lowered her by rope onto a ledge and left her there, "I'm sorry." The smallest one murmured sadly before he walked away. Yekaterina watched them ride back to the palace in the moonlight.

"I need your help once more, my _matryoshka_," she said to the doll. Inside the woman was the bear, inside the bear was the wolf. She wondered briefly what the next would be before she opened the wolf doll apart. Golden light poured out and nestled inside was a tiny bird the color of flame. He lifted his head and stretched his wings. In a fiery swirl, he flew to the top of the mountain and back down to Yekaterina's side.

"Ve~! Tell me your need, _bambina_!" He chirped happily.

"Oh, firebird, the _Tsarevich_ had been turned to ice by a wicked spell. The bear brought back the thaw, the wolf brought back the moon, but it is still dark without dawn across the kingdom," Yekaterina explained. "I promised to break the spell, and I do not wish to live on this ledge."

"It-a looks like a fine perch to me, but as you wish. And besides, who better than a firebird to bring back the sun?" he said. Yekaterina put doll together and climbed on the firebird's back.

"Are you sure you can see where you're going?" she squeaked nervously.

"_Si_! Why do you ask?"

"No reason. It just looked like your eyes were closed, that's all." With that cleared up, they soared into the sky and the firebird burst forth with a great thrill of song. As the last note died away, the sun peeked over the distant eastern mountains.

"Please, we must go to the _Tsarevich_." Yekaterina pleaded. The firebird flew to the palace, sunlight flooding the sky behind them. They flashed over the heads of the guards and into the _Tsarevich_'s room.

Grand Vizier Ivan stood next to the bed, still as stone. The prince was restored- his hair was a pale blonde and now that it wasn't frozen, a stray curl fell over his face. His skin was warm with life. He stirred and murmured softly as the firebird's light fell across his face, but did not wake.

"Why isn't he awake? Can't you help him?!" Yekaterina cried in desperation.

"Ve~ His heart is still frozen. Another kind of magic is needed now," the firebird replied. A strange crackling, snapping sound came from the corner. Yekaterina flinched, she'd forgotten about the Grand Vizier. She looked up and gasped. The Grand Vizier was trying to speak, but his jaw would not move. Now _he _was made of living ice, but his eyes were open, glaring at Yekaterina.

"Please don't go yet!" Yekaterina yelped, turning back to the firebird, "Don't leave me alone with the Vizier! At least until I figure out how to break the spell."

"Ve~! Okay, but you have all that you need. That is all I can tell you." Yekaterina sighed and went back to the prince's side. "I have no more magic to help you," she told him. She watched him as she thought. At last she knew what she must do.

"Perhaps the Britannic and Nordic wizards can break the spell now. Can you take me to them firebird?" The bird nodded, but he looked disappointed. Yekaterina looked down at the prince, more handsome now than ever. Her heart was heavy at the thought of leaving him. She knelt down next to the bed and ran a hand through his soft hair. With her other hand she cradled his face, her thumb rubbing back and forth over his cheek. She gathered her courage and quickly bent down and kissed him.

**_CRASH! _**

The Grand Vizier toppled over and shattered into a thousand pieces.

"That wasn't my fault!" The firebird squeaked in terror. He rushed to Yekaterina's side, "Keep the doll and remember me!" he squealed before vanishing. Yekaterina barely had time to get over her fright before she got another shock. The _Tsarevich _was groaning and rubbing his eyes! When he opened them, Yekaterina saw that he also had purple eyes, but his were soft and kind. He sat up with a gasp and gazed at her.

"You're real!" he exclaimed. "I dreamt that a beautiful and clever girl kept coming to me, riding wonderful creatures. And it was you!"

Yekaterina blushed with joy and embarrassment. He was awake! The prince grabbed her hands, "What is your name?" he asked.

"Yekaterina. And yours?"

"Matthew. May I call you Kat?"

Yekaterina blushed again, "Yes_,_ if I can call you Matvey."

They were happily married soon after. Yekaterina was adored by Matthew and well liked by Matthew's brothers, who at the time had been searching for a cure. She liked them too; though one of them kept calling himself a hero while the other kept staring at her large tracts of land. They also found out from the Britannic Wizard that Ivan hadn't even been their real uncle (shocker). Tsar Matthew and Tsarina Yekaterina ruled the country fairly and kindly. They also banned the hunting of bears, wolves, and firebirds. As for the _matryoshka_, Yekaterina kept it in a place of honor on a cushion from the velvet bed.

* * *

**This is off my favorite fairytale. I first read it as a little girl when my mother bought the book. I don't even know if "The Magic Nesting Doll" is its real name. All I know is that it's a Russian fairytale and that I love it. And Canada/Ukraine is my secret indulgence so...yeah. I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did! **

**Please review and let me know what you think!**


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